Ledger
by wirewrappedlily
Summary: Natasha still has some issues with love, but as her teammates and friends get married left, right, and centre, she's gotta face facts. Meaningless drabble, ties in to Heart of Red and Gold/The American Way. Author is going on no sleep and has lost count of coffee infusions, be warned. Pepper/Natasha, Tony/Steve, Bruce/Rhodey, Clint/Coulson


Natasha smiled, the brilliant blue of her dress somehow making her fiery hair stand out. All eyes were on her, and that was something she was used to just as much as it was something the spy in her hated.

"What is there to say about Tony Stark and Steve Rogers? I've been...I've been a teammate and a friend to them both for years now; I knew they were in love before even they did," pause for the delighted laughter that she almost wished was entirely faked. These people didn't know Tony or Steve, not really. The wedding party were the only ones that really knew them, "and I was given the honour of watching their love grow...and, occasionally, helping it along." Natasha smiled, couldn't help herself, Pepper's presence in the chair next to hers, steady eyes on her with appreciation. "They taught me...what real love looks like. As hard and confusing as it often is, it's beautiful, too. And strong. And worth every tear, and ever tear in your heart. And, if for no other reason than because he's managed to capture the incapturable Cap, Tony's the smartest, and possibly the strongest man I have ever been given the pleasure of knowing. To Mister and Mister Stark-Rogers!"

* * *

The purple she was wearing was near-black, bordering just slightly on red in the right light, and she had the sense that Clint had done that on purpose. She was keeping this dress, and she was most definitely wearing it later.

Coulson was actually laughing at something Tony was saying about married life, and then it was her turn. Part of her was dying in her chest, because Clint was the younger brother she wished she could bring herself to maim into sense and Coulson was the madman whose poker face might actually be better than hers, who loved him. Natasha stood, and cleared her throat, trying to rid it of its tightness, "Barton and I have seen some...we've seen some tough scrapes." Pepper reached up, taking her wrist gently, a steadying presence, "I think I've seen more of Clint than Phil has, to be entirely honest, but that's only because I've pushed his intestines back in once or twice." Barton scowled at her as Coulson shot him a look that clearly said "I am going to put you in a padded room with nothing pointy if you do that again".

"You tell the most horrendous lies, Natasha!"

Natasha smiled, and almost allowed a laugh as Stark yelled back, "Hey, no impugning her testimony, Barton. I have video evidence of you singing 'I'm A Barbie Girl', this is not the worst thing that could come out in the speech portion!"

It was so funny because it was probably true. "Can I get through my speech, or should I just start telling them about what really happened in Budapest?" Barton's jaw snapped audibly on his snarky retort, his eyebrows raising, "Yeah, I do remember Budapest." Phil simply sat there, for all intents and purposes serene, but Natasha could see the twitch in his jaw that either meant he was trying not to laugh, or trying to convince himself that they weren't all off their rockers. She hadn't decided which yet. "Anyway: Barton, you are the luckiest bastard to ever get shot in the ass; and, Coulson, you are a complete loon, but you're our loon, so we all love you anyway. To the newlyweds!"

* * *

Honestly, she had to respect Tony just a little bit more for pulling this particular cocktail of gunpowder and sparks off. Bruce Banner was grinning in a purple suit and a green tie that was so horrendous to look at that she couldn't actually figure out how it looked remotely respectable, and James Rhodes was standing close to him, a presence that Banner was actually kind of leaning back into.

Rhodey smiled as Banner turned, and Banner returned it, the both of them by far the most serene pair Natasha had ever seen. In Tony's reasoning, Rhodey wasn't capable of outright anger or rage. He wasn't physically capable of losing his cool; years and years of Tony Stark had taken care of that. So who better to set up with their rage monster than someone with more patience and understanding in him than anyone else on the planet?

The fact that Rhodey was military was simply a detail, easily ignored. That Tony had managed to get enough against Clint to get him to actually wear a Cupid outfit as he helped Stark in his dastardly matchmaking ways was a testament to the reason she felt that Tony could easily become a supervillain if push came to shove.

Natasha shot a smile at Pepper, unbelievably grateful that both grooms had turned down the option of speechifying. She really didn't want to say how inspiring they were; didn't want to think about how strong and proud both men were to be with their soulmate. All Natasha wanted to do was…

...Well…

* * *

Pepper looked at her dead in the eye, an appraising look that had once stuck Tony Stark to the wall behind him, and had adapted and changed and grown to make it pierce through Natasha's walls.

She loved Pepper, she really did.

But she still hated the speeches about it, still felt foolish for admitting it. Pepper, at least, could see it, and that's why she knew that Pepper was the one she needed.

Pepper didn't need her to say those three little words, and she didn't care about what anyone else would say about it. She was Pepper's, just as Pepper was really hers.

Slowly, Pepper reached out and took her fingers. "I know, Tash." She shrugged, rolling her eyes just a little, "Stop freaking out about not marrying me and come to bed."

"Does Tash get the insurance if you die?" Clint asked from across the gym.

"Actually, at this point, Tony may give her the company. I know that's my vote."

"Date me? I know I'm married and all, but-"

Tony looked up as they walked through the living area and past the kitchen, one eyebrow coming up as he nursed his thousandth coffee, studiously ignoring Steve's pout that he wasn't going to give in to his husband and sleep. "I still can't believe you're sleeping with someone called the Black Widow. You used to warn me about those so avidly…"

Natasha looked at Pepper with all the love she could give, every commitment in her eyes she could possibly make, "Shut up, Stark."

* * *

**A/N: I don't know why, so please don't ask me. I just...thought of it and then there it was. Seriously, though, NO sleep has been had, and I'm using my headphones against my shoulder to prop my head up to type this author's note, so forgive me if it's crap. I may not even be able to see straight. **

**Anywho, thank you to all those who read and reviewed on the other two; and I am still working on Sky High and Super, but a third project has taken over my very slightly ADD brain, so they're slightly on the backburner. More soon, though, promise.  
**


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